If you missed our preview of the 2010/11 Miami Heat, be sure to check it out right here.  It is included in this round of preview links.  We are biased, but it seems as though the Heat will not have much of a problem winning the division.  That said, it is one of the most competitive divisions in all of basketball.  The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks have shown a lot of promise over the past few years.  But they probably won’t be able to hang with the heat.

Bobcats: Rufus on Fire | Hoops Addict | SBN Recap

Hawks: Peachtree Hoops

Heat: Peninsula Is Mightier | SportsAgentBlog.com

Magic: Orlando Pinstriped Post | Magic Basketball | Orlando Magic Daily | Orlando Sports Central

Wizards: Bullets Forever | Sparty and Friends | Truth About It | SBN Recap

NBA Blog Previews: Southeast Division Recap from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

According to the money, our money should be on the Celtics.  And in the Finals, our money should be on the Lakers.  But more importantly than that, it is necessary to realize that three out of the four teams left in the playoffs are in the top 6 in payroll.  The Phoenix Suns are sitting at #9 (payroll $74.9 million).  And last round, 7 of the 8 teams left in the playoffs were in the top 10 in payroll, with only the Atlanta Hawks as the major surprise with the #22 payroll of $65.9 million.

What does this tell us other than the fact that Al Horford is a miracle worker?  That if you want to win in the NBA, you better put your money where your mouth is.  This should quiet everyone who complains that the MLB isn’t fair due to the lack of a salary cap.  The NBA has a cap (albeit a soft one), yet does the playoff landscape say anything of competitive balance?  What it says is that teams that want to win better be willing to pay talented players what they are worth.

Out of the top 10 spenders in the NBA, 9 of the teams made the playoffs (the New York Knicks being the odd team out).  16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs.  Out of the bottom 10 spenders, 7 of them were left out of the playoffs (the Portland Trailblazers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the aforementioned Hawks being the exceptions).

The NBA: You Have To Pay To Play from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

However, before LeBron can start really looking for a mansion on South Beach (yeah I said it), the NBA draft is coming. Remember all of these guys were a part of the draft once, so you have to pay some attention to which players your team can select, and  who may possibly be a contributor on the way to an NBA championship.

Lottery Draft order projected statistically.

1. New Jersey Nets: John Wall/Kentucky – After being arguably the best in college basketball for an entire season, he will rightfully go first overall.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Evan Turner/Ohio St. – The most NBA ready player in draft, could be the best out of the draft if health allows him to be.
3. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins/Kentucky – Cousins is not the usual fit for the Kings and its owners (the Maloof brothers), but he is the only real post threat in the draft. Add him to a nucleus of Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson and you have the first team in Sacramento to sniff the playoffs since Vlade Divac was flopping in the purple and black.
4. Golden State Warriors: Derrick Favors/Georgia Tech – Had Favors put up the numbers that were anticipated when he arrived at GT, the Nets would be selecting him first overall. Although Golden State will be a good fit, Favors will be able to run the high paced offense the Nelly loves to utilize.
5. Washington Wizards: Wesley Johnson/Syracuse – A freak athlete who can score. The Wizards cannot afford to let a talent like Johnson slip past them.
6. Philadelphia 76ers: Ed Davis/North Carolina – Davis seems to be one of the players who left early to keep from suffering completely if the NBA bargaining agreement keeps the 2011-2012 season on ice. Davis is going to be Samuel Dalembert’s replacement after his contract expires. Additionally, look for the 76ers to try and unload Elton Brand on draft day for either money, another first round pick, or a sign and trade.
7. Detroit Pistons: Cole Aldrich/Kansas – Aldrich is a spitting image of Paul Davis, the former Michigan State center who was a sound, tough rebounding big in college, but that’s pretty much where the story ended. Aldrich lacks the footwork of other big men in the draft and is going to struggle when he can’t go over the top of defenders.
8. Los Angeles Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu/Wake Forest – An athlete who can and hopefully will develop a perimeter game to play alongside Blake Griffin. Aminu is going to be a tougher version of Al Thornton, who never turned out the way the Clippers expected before they sent him packing.
9. Utah Jazz: Greg Monroe/Georgetown – Georgetown being upset in the first game of the big dance did not help Monroe’s stock, but the Jazz will lose Boozer and will realize that Mehmet Okur is not a center. Monroe possesses phenomenal footwork and can stretch the floor, and if big men could ever win the rookie of the year award, he would be the leading candidate.
10. Indiana Pacers: Ekpe Udoh/Baylor – A fantastic shot blocker, he will play alongside an emerging Roy Hibbert, and with the NBA’s stars relocating, the Pacers could be in playoff contention come April.
11. New Orleans Hornets: Daniel Orton/Kentucky – Orton has the least playing experience of all prospects in the entire draft. He has NBA size, but with unproven skill. He will become the mid-season bandage when Okafor goes down with an injury, again. Orton will benefit playing with CP3, and scouts believe he has the talent to be the best big man out of Kentucky, eventually.
12. Memphis Grizzlies: Patrick Patterson/Kentucky: A physical specimen coming out of college, he is sound fundamentally and can contribute at the power forward position right away.
13. Toronto Raptors: Hassan Whiteside/Marshall – Whiteside will be drafted just in time to go to Bosh’s  Bon Voyage party, maybe as Turkoglu’s plus one? Whiteside can block shots, score around the basket, and rebound. Look for Dwight Howard comparisons throughout his entire career.
14. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas/Lithuania – This guy gets the label of highest bust probability. He is another thin seven footer who will refuse to rebound and put up 5 too many threes a game.
15. Milwaukee Bucks: James Anderson/Oklahoma St. – Attacks the basket really well, put up a lot of points in college, and could complement Jennings really well. NBA fans will continue to Fear The Deer!
16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Gordon Hayward/Butler – The last chance of having the next “Great White Hope”. Hayward can shoot the ball from almost anywhere on the court – lucky for Duke.
17. Chicago Bulls: Xavier Henry/Kansas – Regardless of what moves are made in the off-season, Chicago is going to take the best talent available and someone who can run with Rose. Henry couldn’t be a better fit.
18. Miami Heat: Eric Bledsoe/Kentucky – Playing in John Wall’s shadow at Kentucky, Bledsoe did not receive the publicity he deserved. He is an NBA ready point guard who will fill the Heat’s need of a ball handler and distributor.
19. Boston Celtics: Damion James/Texas – Doc Rivers is going to steal James from the Spurs, who pick right behind them. A hard nosed defender who can make stops and be a spark off the bench. He’s the pick because of the possibility the Celtics could lose Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Tony Allen.
20. San Antonio Spurs: Larry Sanders/VCU – Sanders can block shots and has the frame to become a dominating post presence. Let the mastermind better known as Mr. Popovich get his hands on him and you have the frontcourt of the future with Sanders and Blair down low.
21. Oklahoma City: Solomon Alabi/Florida St. – The Thunder learned their lesson the hard way when a team lacks decent big men. Unfortunately, they are not getting that in Alabi, who comes with the buyer beware warning due to his raw talent and what looked like genuine clumsiness around the basket in college.
22. Portland Trailblazers: Kevin Seraphin/France – With Nicolas Batum becoming a larger role in the Blazers rotation, Portland will take the chance on Seraphin. The Blazers will likely allow him to play one more year overseas and then use him as a post defender, praying he won’t collapse like every other big in Portland.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Luke Babbitt/Nevada – This being the T’wolves third pick in the first round, this is potential trade bait to a team like Memphis who covets Babbitt’s scoring and rebounding ability.
24. Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Pondexter/Washington – This is a steal for Atlanta. Pondexter could either replace a possible departing Joe Johnson or give Marvin Williams his pink slip, and either way, Pondexter will have a bright future in the NBA.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Avery Bradley/Texas – This is probably the biggest slide of the first round, due to Bradley’s lack of scoring ability right now. If he finds a way to score, then the Grizzlies will have made off like bandits with a guy who could easily be a lottery pick.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Paul George/Fresno State – Another great athlete who can score, giving the Thunder a fourth or fifth scoring option.
27. New Jersey Nets: Devin Ebanks/West Virginia- A perimeter defender with the height of a big man. His jump shot is less than questionable, which is why he is still available this late.
28. Memphis Grizzlies: Terrico White/Mississippi – The possibility that Rudy Gay may be leaving forces the Grizzlies to take someone who can put up points. White can do just that.
29. Orlando Magic: Willie Warren/Oklahoma – The second coming of Courtney Lee to the Magic. Warren’s questionable attitude at Oklahoma is the reason for such a fall, but the Magic are the big winners after such a painful loss in the Finals.
30. Washington Wizards: Darington Hobson/New Mexico – Will be looked at as a reach, but his ability to lead the Lobos to such a great season gives him a great upside with good scoring ability.

After the glory of the first round has gone, there are a few real players that could make a difference when drafted. The second round sleepers are: Dominique Jones/USF, Jordan Crawford/Xavier, Stanley Robinson/UConn, and Lance Stephenson/Cincinnati.

2010 NBA Mock Draft from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Last week, I posted my 2009-10 preview for the Miami Heat.  I think we will have an above-average season, but I see the Magic taking this division.  Solid offseason moves, and a great man in the middle by the name of Dwight Howard.  Thus, I’ll give him some love by placing his image at the top of this post.

Atlanta Hawks: Peachtree Hoops

Charlotte Bobcats: Rufus on Fire | QueenCityHoops

Miami Heat: Peninsula Is Mightier | SportsAgentBlog.com

Orlando Magic: Third Quarter Collapse

Washington Wizards: Bullets Forever | Hoops Addict | Truth About It

Bonus Links: See full schedule here | Also see SBNation preview storystream

NBA: Southeast Division Previews from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

If there is one thing that many learned from this season’s NBA Playoffs, it is that Orlando Magic small forward Hedo Turkoglu is a great basketball player. Hedo and his agent Lon Babby have realized this and are using it to their advantage. Turkoglu opted out of his final year with the Magic and has decided, in turn, to test the market. Babby says the market for his client appears to be “robust.”

Turkoglu would be scheduled to make $7.3 million next season if he had stayed in Orlando under the terms of his contract. Personally, I think this is a smart move on his part for a couple of reasons. For one, I am a firm believer in getting out while on top. There are many unknowns in Hedo’s case if he were to return to Orlando for his final contract year. A repeat performance (or better) may not occur, and if it doesn’t, it will significantly drop his value, thus giving him lower-priced contract offers.

Right now, Hedo Turkoglu is at his best and his stock is set firmly at the top. Great move Hedo and Lon. 2009 will be very profitable!

Turkoglu Testing Waters from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

If you have had trouble keeping up with Clay Moser over the years, it is understandable. Twenty plus years of experience in the basketball industry can make for a difficult task. Moser’s wealth of knowledge has led him to his latest stop as head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Developmental League.

Moser’s career began back in 1984 where he was an assistant coach at the junior college level. He was then fortunate enough to have his first NCAA Division 1 coaching experience under the legendary Jim Valvano at NC State.  Since that time, he has been an assistant for two more teams, including the San Antonio Spurs summer league squad in 2005, has been a head coach twice, and served as an advanced scout for the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and most recently, the Orlando Magic. One of Moser’s jobs brought him overseas, where he acted as head coach and team consultant of the Jilin Northeastern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. Moser’s extensive coaching experience positions him incredibly well to be a coach in the NBA.

Aside from a coaching standpoint, Moser has also spent time in the front office. He was the Senior VP & VP of Basketball Operations for the CBA, CEO of the Idaho Stampede, an NBA Consultant, and Vice President of Business Development for the New Orleans Hornets. In his role as an NBA consultant, Moser ran a variety of projects in Basketball Operations, International Business Development and Team Business Operations. Not only is Moser more than qualified to coach a team, he has the credentials of an NBA GM, as well.

There is no doubting how impressive the track record is that Moser has compiled over the years. He has shown a tireless work ethic during his surge through the ranks and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. He is enjoying his current stay as a head coach in the Developmental League and his well-rounded NBA background leave him with no other place to go but up from there. With continued success in its farm system, don’t be surprised to see Moser take his numerous skills to the league as a top assistant or even head coach in the near future.

Experience Paying Dividends: Moser on the Brink of Greatness from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Atlanta Hawks
Matt McHale: Basketbawful
Hoopinion: Peachtree Hoops

Charlotte Bobcats
BrettL: Queen City Hoops
Ziggy: BobcatsPlanet

Miami Heat
Darren Heitner: SportsAgentBlog.com
Gregory Broome: The Peninsula is Mightier

Orlando Magic
Ben: Third Quarter Collapse

Washington Wizards
Rashad: Hoops Addict
HoopsAvenue: HoopsAvenue
Mike Prada: Bullets Forever
Truth: Truth About It Dot Net

Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

NBA: Southeast Division Previews from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Building Magic week’s mission is to bring the Orlando Magic organization closer together in the offseason by having a week full of workouts, team-building activities, and other events. Tomorrow is Media Day, so anyone in the Villanova area looking to get some interviews can head to the Summit Sports Training Center starting at 9 a.m. EST.

A good friend of mine and noted expert on the business of sports, Marc Isenberg, will be speaking at 10:30 a.m. EST on Thursday. If you are unable to hear him speak at any of the college sports symposiums that he frequents (including University of Florida’s) and are in the region, I suggest you go check him out.

Building Magic Week from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Since Brandon Jennings (the Arizona recruit) signed with Roma of Italy, decided to pass up college and play professionally in Europe, many have followed in his shoes.  Jennings was setting an example for many others to skip college and play overseas.  The NBA’s one and done rule would then be avoided and the athletes would be able to play in the NBA after one year.

While we have not seen any athletes other than Jennings skip college to play overseas, Arroyo is one of the many athletes continuing the trend of NBA players leaving America to play more serious roles and earn more money elsewhere.  The big international clubs are the ones who have the money and the connections to land these talented players and grant high paying contracts. It looks like the flood gates have opened this summer, as we have now witnessed a multitude of players leave the NBA and head overseas.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv is one of those big clubs with many foreign contacts. The Israeli league is well-respected around the world. Maccabi reached the Euro league title game last season and has won the European title five times since 1977.  They were also one of the teams to beat an NBA team on North American soil with a 105-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors during the 2005-06-exhibition season.  This gave them international exposure and attracted great American players and others to the Israeli league.

Maccabi is coming off a good season, but had an unfortunate ending, in which it inexplicably lost the Israeli championship to the lesser known Hapoel Holon team. Maccabi was looking to make some moves and some high priced signings this summer to forget about their disappointing performance in the finals.  The club was also talking to Miami Heat star Jason Williams before they acquired Arroyo from the Magic.

Jennings might be the first and only one from High School that is headed overseas for now, but I believe that many more will follow. Here is a list of the other players who have decided to leave America and sign with European teams.  Serbia’s Nenad Krstic, Spain’s Juan Carlos Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa, Argentina’s Carlos Delfino and Slovenia’s Bostjan Nachbar and Primoz Brezec. All these individuals have decided to throw away their current NBA contracts and sign with European teams.  Their agents did negotiate a most important opt out clause in their contracts, which will allow them to reevaluate their decision and permit them to head back to the NBA after the season if they wish.

Arroyo Joins Others Overseas from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules